“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”

“None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning–either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now.”

“There was once a herd of elephants. Elephants young, elephants old, elephants tall or fat or thin. Elephants like this, that or the other, all different but all happy and all the same colour. All, that is, except Elmer.”

Because nothing says London like Paddington Bear. Just make sure you don’t sit on him.Author: Michael BondArtist:Michelle Heron

The National Literacy Trust and Wild in Art have collaborated to bring the open book shaped benches – designed by local illustrators and artists – to London. At the end of summer the benches will be auctioned off to raise money toward increasing literacy levels in the UK.

What do you think about Books About Town? Have you hit up one of the trails and seen the book benches in person? What ideas do you have for a literary project like this in your community? Let me know in the comments.